Toast is Overrated
by Medgrl11
Summary: This story follows the perspectives of each main character (Piper, Alex and Larry) as they try to deal with their present relationships and the strains incarceration places on them.
1. Chapter 1

"**Toast is Overrated"  
Piper struggles with her decision to fully commit to Larry or Alex.**

_Author's Note: not entirely based on the shows storyline; all characters were created by Jenji Cohen._

_POV: Piper Chapman_

Piper Chapman had a choice to make. And she hoped spending a few hours away from her drug-toting, ex-lesbian lover, would give her some clarity. Usually she looked forward to Work Time ending. Repairing toasters and dryers is not on her list of yuppie, urban skills. But today it was just the break she needed.

_How the hell did I get here again? Oh right, Alex Vause.  
_  
Piper sighs as the boss man sets down another broken toaster in front of her.

_Toast is so overrated._

So is hair conditioner, nail polish and organic Kale, as prison has quickly taught her. But time to think and process? Now that is a luxury that prison can afford her. So that's what she does; she thinks and stews over her biggest life predicament: choose Alex Vause or Larry Bloom. Option 1 or Option 2. Predictable, endearing Larry or the bad-ass, passionate Alex. She's been over this so many times in her head she's ready to flip a coin for a concrete answer.

"Ow! Shit! Stupid…!" the blonde is brought back to reality by a wicked shock provided by the evil appliance. She forgot to unplug it after testing it. Again.

"Hey Pipes, you never learn do you?" The tall brunette smoothly enters the workshop with a sly grin on her face.

_Why does she have to be so fucking attractive even when she's being smug?_

"Toast is overrated, don't cha think?" Piper deflects. "Hey what are you doing here? They're gonna be pissed if they find you away from your work zone ya know." This goes with out saying, and even though it doesn't need to be said, the blonde can't really come up with anything more interesting.

"Eh. I'm just getting a screw driver; washer button is on the fritz again. Besides I kinda need a break from bleaching Pennsyltucky's disgusting under wear." Alex cringes comically, attempting to make the blonde smile. It works as usual. God she loves watching the blonde smile.

"Haha, that's gross. Didn't need to hear that."

The brunette leaves as quickly as she enters, tool in hand, glancing back at Piper as the blonde pretends to concentrate on her work.

Before she realizes it, 4 hours have past and it's already dinner time. The toaster is probably more broken now than when it was brought to her, and her life problem is equally unresolved. Piper's stomach growls and she laughs darkly inside.

_Who'd of thought I'd actually look forward to dinner here. Could my standards get much lower?_

As Piper enters the eating hall she instinctively looks for her table; the one with her friendly prison comrades. It was comforting to know that she belonged somewhere in this surreal world, even if everyone outside these walls disagreed. During her short time in prison she has already developed a connection with many of these women. After all was she really that different from everyone else? Hadn't she committed a crime? Hadn't she made poor choices despite knowing better?

As Red's minions serve her dinner down the service-line she continues to contemplate those poor choices, and the choices that have to her life with Larry. That poor, loyal man. He really didn't understand her at all.

The blonde sighs and turns towards the familiar table. And then, her heart warms as she realized Alex is saving her favorite spot. She feels like she is 23 years old again. She feels like she is in love again. In love with a woman.

_Fin! __Reviews are love._


	2. Chapter 2

**"This is Our Reality"**

_Author's Note: This is loosely based on the show...I take creative license in shaping how the story plays out as well as the character's thoughts and feelings. All credit for original content goes to Jenji Cohen._

POV: Piper

Several days had passed since what was to be the worst phone call of Piper's prison life. In a few intense minutes Larry had revealed Alex's betrayal and questioned Piper's fidelity. Under normal circumstances, outside of the walls of the penitentiary, she would have felt devastated. But her short time in prison had robbed her of normal emotional responses. Instead of heart ache, rage, and sadness she felt numb.

POV: Larry

Larry wasn't an idiot; he knew that the moment Alex was back in Piper's life, he would be competing for his fiancée's affections. Combine the emotional and psychological turmoil of incarceration with Piper's co-dependent tendencies and the competition already heavily favored Alex. After all he could no longer be there to make her laugh, comfort her, and hold her at night. His only ammunition for this battle was the truth. Alex, the woman who she undoubtedly was befriending again, was the rat who had named her and thus ruined their lives. It seemed to him like a steadfast plan, until the day he received a call from some guy named Healy who reported that Piper was engaging in "lesbian activities". And that was it for Larry. It was the ultimate betrayal. Not only had she slept with someone else, she had slept with the very person who had put the life they had built together in peril.

POV: Alex

The day had been business as usual; wake up, bunk checks, breakfast, avoiding eye contact with her nemesis, blatant flirtation with her only friend in prison, work time and soon lunch. She hadn't seen Piper in several hours and hated to admit the fact that she missed her. Ten years had passed since she had last spoken and seen the pretty blonde. In that time Alex hadn't experienced one decent relationship. She was spectacularly good at her job and few women could last a few months living with her let alone a few years. Her life required secrecy, strategy, and constant travel. A woman who was worthy of being her partner would have to thrive on adventure and the thrill that came with such an illicit profession. The brunette had a skill for bedding any woman she desired, but Piper had been different. She was the only woman that Alex could admit to being in love with. And she was the only woman who Alex had ever betrayed so ruthlessly. As long as Piper remained clueless of this betrayal, Alex hoped to slowly form a relationship with her again.

Piper brusquely brushed the tears from her face and hung up the pay phone.  
_So that's it. It's over. Larry knows I've been fucking her and he doesn't want to be with me anymore. How did my life get this fucked up?_  
The news that Larry wanted to end their relationship had come at her like a left-hook punch to the face. It was so unexpected that the fact that Alex had named her wasn't even on her radar yet. Once the betrayal sunk in she had a moment to process what Alex had done. Piper had assumed this was true from beginning, and even after Larry had initially claimed Alex hadn't betrayed her, deep down somewhere she had questioned the likelihood of her innocence. Piper knew how emotionally demented her last interaction with the brunette had been. If the situation had been reversed she would have done the same out of pure retribution. She wasn't proud of how she had broken it off with Alex, and abandoning her lover in her greatest time of need had made her feel like the scum of the Earth. Regardless, it was time to have a talk with woman and set things straight.

Piper inhaled deeply to calm her nerves and walked into the Rec Room where she found Alex lounging on a couch, book in hand. The brunette had placed her glasses on top of her head as she often did, and Piper admired how attractive she still found that gesture. It brought back many memories of spending the night with Alex in luxurious suites in Berlin, Paris and Prague. Back then they had a certain domesticity to their nightly routine. Sex, baths, then ending the night with a good book and the comfort of knowing that no matter what, they would wake up in each other's embrace.

"Hey, I uh, just got off the phone with Larry". Piper made her way around the couch and pushed Alex's legs off while she sat down.  
"Oh yea?" Alex said in her usual tone of sarcasm. "Is he already planning the honeymoon in Maui?"

"No. He said that we should take a break or break up or…something. He said that…he said that you named me." Piper looked at Alex expectantly as the brunette slowly lowered her gaze to her lap.

"Oh."

"How could you do it? Why? I mean, I hadn't heard from you in 10 years and you just decide to drag my name into your trial? What the fuck Alex."

"Why? Because you committed a crime, nobody forced you to come with me or carry that bag of cash. And because I got a shorter sentence, like a lot shorter. And also probably because I was still pissed. You left me after I told you my mom had died. I wanted retribution." Alex's voice had risen and after regaining control over her temper she fully expected Piper to lose it. She waited for onslaught.

"Well, I did it. I carried the bag, 10 years ago, I made poor choices and…I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I carried that bag and I'm even more sorry that I left you. It was a callous, horrible thing to do."

Neither woman had expected Piper to react in such a mature and balanced way. The blonde was even a little impressed with her ability to move on from the betrayal and own up to her own indiscretions.

She turned to face Alex and smiled weakly. The two exchanged wary glances and finally began to relax again. This conversation had been a long time coming and they were both happy that it had cleared the air.

Alex laughed abruptly. "Look at us. I'm a back-stabbing ex-drug dealer and you're a callous, emotional cripple. We make quite a pair don't we?" The flirtatious gleam was back in Alex's eyes now. Their relationship was back to the status quo, for now.

Piper smiled back childishly and nodded shyly. "He asked if I was in love with you. I said yes." She focused her eyes on her shoes, attempting to hide from embarrassment.

The brunette's eyes widened as her flirtatious smile faded into one of adoration. She took Piper's right hand and entwined their fingers.

This was their reality.

_*Reviews are love*_


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